A Comparison of Tropical Cyclone Hydrometeor Profiles from TRMM, Airborne Radar, and High-resolution simulations

Knowledge of the radial, vertical, and temporal distribution of latent heating within a tropical cyclone is a key factor in improving intensity forecasts. TRMM TMI microwave emissivity and PR reflectivities provide a means of estimating latent heating, but the lack of vertical velocity information means that model profiles of vertical velocity are required. This study will present a comparison of the vertical profiles of reflectivity and vertical motion from the TRMM PR for all tropical cyclones from 1998-2003 (reflectivity only), NOAA airborne Doppler radar from nine different hurricanes, and high-resolution model simulations of two hurricanes. A comparison of the statistical properties of these profiles will allow for the improvement in the linkages of hydrometeor profiles with vertical velocity fields. This will lead to an improvement in the retrieval of latent heating profiles and the TRMM microphysics retrieval algorithm, resulting in an improved TC latent heat data base and, therefore, an improved specification of the profile of latent heating.